Wow! Doesn’t time just seem to fly? I’m beginning to understand more fully the phrase my parents would say, “The older you get, the more quickly time passes.”
We are all likely guilty at one time or another of planning to make some improvement in our life, our relationship, our work, our health, our finances, etc. You get the idea.
We truly believe we will get around to it. Days turn into weeks, which turn into months and the same habit, behavior, lack of change continues. At the end of the year, we just tell ourselves we should try again next year.
A few days ago a world-renowned musician died at the age of 53. Today, a Hollywood actress died. She was merely 60 years old. I will turn 60 in less than 5 years. I used to think that signified an “old” age. Now, I can’t even conceive what is considered old anymore. My mom will turn 90 in a few months and she will look you in the eye and tell you she doesn’t feel “old.”
Psalm 90: 12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Martin Luther said we should live with the day of our death constantly before our eyes. It keeps us from the ultimate folly–thinking we will live forever and therefore giving us excuses to put off doing what we know we ought to do.
Just remember, “Life is short. Eternity is significant.” How true that is.
Paul challenges his readers to “understand the present time” (Romans 13:11 NIV). Do you know what time it is? It’s time to wake up! Why? “Because salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (v. 11). That’s a reference to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus is coming, and each day brings us closer to that great world-shattering event.
In light of that, Paul tells us to wake up, put off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. The long night is fading away, the sun is peeking over the eastern horizon, Jesus is coming soon!
Time is money. Researchers tell us that time is the new currency. Today time is more important than money. People will spend money to save time whereas an earlier generation raised during the Depression would spend time to save money. In a world where most of us feel stressed out, we value our free time more than a few extra dollars in our pocket.
We work with people who are not sure whether they are living or dying. They have cancer. They go on the Hallelujah Diet and the cancer seems to go in remission. They are overjoyed and their doctor is in disbelief. They believe they got their life back. They know that if they return to the SAD, their cancer will return and diet alone will no longer bring them success.
While the diet can help in many areas, life still happens. Accidents, shootings and other ways that life can be shortened.
Life is so uncertain. No one knows how long they have to live. There are ways you can improve the quality and perhaps the quantity of days if you can discipline yourself to eat better, sleep more, exercise more and reduce your stress. Gee, that sounds like a TV commercial doesn’t it? It sounds so simple doesn’t it? But, our lives are nothing close to simple anymore. Fast foods, fast cars, fast phones, fast internet…you see the connection? Even Christmas time, which should be meant to slow down, visit with family, worship the Lord and restore our energy, has become fast-paced in efforts to gather gifts, attend parties and travel places.
What if I told you that as of today, you have been given 365 days — which equates to 8760 hours or 525,600 minutes. Now, honestly, I can’t promise you that, but there is a strong likelihood that many of you will actually be given this entire amount of time.
What can you do with this gift?
- Spend more time with your loved ones
- Create and stick to a budget
- Begin to tithe
- Play with your children or grandchildren
- Clean your closets and give unwanted items away
- Downsize and find a place that needs your castaways
- Find a church family to worship with
- Sleep more
- Eat better
- Exercise more
- Volunteer
- Pray more
There are surely many more items that need to be on this list. But, as we are beginning to realize, that time is precious and cannot be wasted, we must not delay the changes that will make a significant difference in our lives and in the lives of others.
If you can’t stick to a resolution for more than a week, then just remember, the phrase, “Life is short. Eternity is significant.”
Go back and read the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Spend time and reflect on the last one: Temperance….self control. We have gotten so soft in this comfortable, convenient world we live in, that we forget that our parents, grandparents and beyond lived lives without the added comforts of running water, electricity and even beds. And there are people living today without those too.
Instead of a resolution, let’s make a covenant with God, that we begin to improve our relationship with Him, our family and ourselves so that together, we can make a difference in the world that we temporarily call home.
